February 2011

02/28/2011

These will be up tomorrow and include ribbon by designers Kaffe Fasset, Jessica Jones and Jennifer Jangles. The Ribbon Packs complement the jars and since they are in packs can be shipped first class. We are so excited about all the new ribbon we have coming in to Ribbon Jar.

02/27/2011

We had the pleasure of staying at Cedarbrook Lodge this weekend while in town for the NW Textile and Notions show. Let me just say the accommodations are perfect. The environment is quiet and secluded while still being close to the airport. Wanting to stay in we decided to dine at the Copperleaf Restaurant and I'm so glad we did. We were able to enjoy a nice bottle of wine...

Dine on rabbit...

and Venison...

We probably should have felt a little unease having "Bambi & Thumper" for dinner, but it was delicious!

Should you have the opportunity to stay at Cedarbrook Lodge, dine at Copperleaf. They are all about serving farm-to-table local and regional fare, and the wait staff is superb!

02/20/2011

Saturday we explored a neighborhood in Portland we hadn't been before; Mississippi Historic District. Many people rode their bikes to get there on this beautiful, although very cold day!

We visited this historic area all because of a gift certificate to Pistils Nursery. I'd been carrying it around for almost a year and decided it was about time! At Pistils it's all about country living in the city. You'll even find live chickens sitting in baskets on a shelf! I purchased a lot of seeds to get ready for some spring planting...

Another great shop we found....

I seriously need to go back there!

And of course we found a great place to eat...

Portland is such a fun place to visit with so many wonderful places to explore! Thanks Brent & Kat for a wonderful gift!

02/18/2011

Remember when I mentioned I was getting new cabinets? Well they're here, installed and I'm loving them! The cabinets are from Canyon Creek a company I use exclusively. The door style is Valley Forge and the color is a new one "Icing"! A very fitting name as I feel like these cabinets are "the Icing on the cake" when it comes to my workspace.The countertops are from IKEA. It's a bar size cut down so I could have a shelf for computer and other items I wanted to keep off the desk top. I love that the desk is standard countertop height, therefore allowing me to stand when I work. I added cork above the shelf to keep track of important things! I probably should have been wearing a mask when I installed it using a very large amount of toxic contact cement.And to complete the look I added these fabulous glass knobs from Anthropologie!Did I mention how happy I am with this space? It's a good thing because I spend a lot of time here!

02/16/2011

My honey loves the outdoors so on the weekends we try to get out for a little hike, it's the compromise he makes as he would love to backpack in and spend the entire weekend in the woods. The compromise I made this weekend was heading east instead of north. I love a little day hike in the Portland or Gorge area, because when the hike is over there's restaurants, shopping and other activity. When we head east it's much more remote which sometimes makes me a little uneasy. But with the remoteness comes a quiet solitude which can be nice too.

We enjoyed a very pleasant day as the rain we were supposed to have didn't arrive until after our hike, and hiking along the river made for a serene adventure.

It was a bit unnerving crossing the water on slippery logs...

We captured some kayakers coming down the wild river, a couple of them faired better than the third. They asked for photos but unfortunately I haven't been contacted yet. Perhaps they'll see them here.

I really appreciate the area we live, so close to so many beautiful places. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day routine, but it's necessary to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

I hope you have the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air!

02/10/2011

This post is especially for Heather who gently reminded me that I hadn't been sharing any recipes lately. Perhaps that's because I don't cook anymore... no that's not true I've been making this fabulous "Warm Spinach Salad" that turned into a fabulous "Warm Spinach Salad Pizza".

I start with a chunk of dough from the Olive Oil Dough from the Bread Book, if I'm turning the Warm Spinach Salad into a pizza.

While it rests and the oven raises to a hot 450 degrees I chop a few onions and peppers:

I start with the onions and saute them until soft, then I add the peppers and cook al dente.

I try to cook more than needed and save a bit for a meal later in the week.

This is the amount of veggies I use for this salad / pizza:

I add a bit more olive oil (I've already used some to saute the vegetables), add balsamic vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper and garlic:

Definitely need to get more!

Put pizza dough in oven:

While it cooks add spinach, dried cranberries and pecans to other vegetables:

At this point you can eat it as a Warm Spinach Salad or after cooking pizza dough for 5 minutes you can add it to the baking pizza dough:

Bake for 12 more minutes. We like to add goat cheese before serving with salad or pizza:

02/08/2011

We've been working in a space that isn't quite as organized as I'd like it to be, but that's going to change tomorrow! Cabinets will be delivered and installed!!! I'm so excited. If you want to see the before pictures check out Amber's Blog! I'm a bit embarrassed about current conditions but that will all change after tomorrow. I plan to get really organized and take some really great pictures. We purchased a wood counter top from Ikea, I hope my room looks just as good as the craft room I helped Amber design.